The Assassin, The Archer and The Magic
by petalssunwards
Summary: What happens when the best archer in the world, in the pursuit of the deadliest assassin known to the world, stumbles across a magical child? What happens when a magically powerful child decides to save the life of his mother's look alike and adopts her as his mother? A Harry Potter and Marvel crossover AU, but doesn't follow the timeline of either of them. *slowly updating*
1. Chapter 1

**Author notes:**

 **A mandatory reminder: If you recognize a character, it belongs to either Marvel or J.K. Rowling! I do not own any of them, nor do I use them for any financial benefit. I own the plot idea and hope all of you enjoy reading it.  
** **English is not my first language, so if you find any grammatical mistakes, let me know!**

 **Read and review :)**

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Natalia Romanova, currently residing in London under a fake persona of a ballet teacher, was experiencing a strange day. The famous assassin had recently completed her fifth freelance mission following her defection from the red room almost three years ago. It had gone smoothly but since she couldn't access the Red Room resources anymore, she was a wanted criminal in many countries. She had detected someone following her in France almost three months ago, prompting her to flee to London and to hide in plain sight. She knew whoever had trailed her was keeping tabs on her and would expect her to follow the red room protocol. The red room had a lot of resources, and they would always give agents a completely new identity with changed physical attributes. So instead of dying her hair and getting new contacts, she decided to go for a complete personality overhaul. After all, no one would mistake a shy and reserved ballet teacher in London for the Black Widow. She knew ballet was a risky choice, but she required money. She had exhausted her resources in fabricating a trail going back till last three years. Also, creating a fake missing complaint about her non-existent husband and a well-crafted psychiatrist recommendation to move somewhere else, hadn't come at a low price. But it was worth the money. Everyone had bought it with the hook, line, and sinker.

Anyone hardly bothered the pretty ballet teacher with a tragic back-story and all unwanted attempts were discouraged by her friendly neighbors. The famous spy wouldn't have second guessed her cover if a handsome blond man had not asked her out for a date. Yes, that's where her day had turned strange. Her mind, trained to think about every possible aspect of the situation, had jumped to the worst possible conclusion. The red room had found her and she needed to escape. It was not going to be easy this time. She had depleted her resources and she knew next to nothing about the man who was sent to capture her. If she fled in hurry, she would risk going into an unknown territory. Thus, she decided to play along and in turn get the information from him.

Right now, she was on her way home from her date with 'Francis Clinton'. So far she could find out only two things about him.

a) it was not his real name and b) he was good at the job. In their date, he had not revealed anything that she wouldn't find out from digging through public (mostly forged) records. He had insisted on dropping her home but she had politely declined, allowing him to accompany her to train station and then getting into a random train. That's why she was in Surrey, hoping to get home and hatch out a new escape plan.

But her day took a turn towards the weird when a toddler hugged her legs and cried out ' mama'. To say, the unflappable spy was surprised, will be an understatement. However, the toddler didn't seem to notice her discomfort as he clung to her legs and continued brawling random words like 'mama, up, home'. She ruffled his hair, nodded to the sour-faced woman behind him and continued her journey home. If she had turned around, she would have witnessed the longing in the toddler's eyes as he massaged his arm where his guardian had pinched him and a tabby cat next to him growling at a roof.

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 **Author Notes:**

 **Questions, suggestions, and plot ideas are always welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes:**

 **Thank you all for such a heart-warming response! You all inspired me to write more :)  
**  
 **Beast94** **: I hadn't thought about it! Let's see if I can incorporate it in next few chapters! :)**

 **Samantha L. Riddle** **: Glad you liked it! Stay tuned for more updates!**

 **If you recognize a character, it belongs to Marvel or J.K. Rowling! I don't own them nor do I use them for monetary benefit.**

 **Read and review. Also, suggestions, questions, and corrections are always welcome!**

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Clint Barton was assigned on a mission to eliminate Black Widow. Widow running wild in the world had caused numerous headaches for S.H.I.E.L.D. The elusive assassin had sabotaged three missions for them and she needed to be terminated as soon as possible. Midway into his search for her, Clint had realized S.H.I.E.L.D was not the sole organization hunting for her. She was on a radar of the red room and various secret services as well. By the time he had neutralized four red room agents, Widow had left France and he was back where he has started.

It had taken him nearly three months to locate her. He had followed four fake trails with nine false leads and visited three European countries before he found her again. He could have killed her easily, but he was curious. He knew getting close to her would blow his cover and possibly get Fury on his back. However, learning why she defected from the Red Room was important to him.

After a week of brainstorming, he threw caution to the wind and asked her out on a date. If anything were to go wrong, he could kill her. The date went well, considering after two hours both of them were alive without any injuries. She had quickly deduced he was the one trailing her and had spent the evening trying to figure out the best way to take him down.

Widow was good, but not good enough to throw him off the course. She was predictable and methodical. He laughed when she boarded the first train and got off at Surrey, the dullest part of the county. He had expected her to turn around and catch another train. As soon as she walked away from the station, he climbed the nearest rooftop and resumed trailing her.

If he were following her on foot, he would have assumed Widow was trying to lose him by turning into random allies. However, he was perched on the rooftop and could see how she methodically took three consecutive right turns followed by two lefts in every alley. Her pace slowed when she neared a lane of meticulously identical houses.

He almost lost his footing when a child ran towards the deadly assassin, begging her to pick him up. He quickly spotted similarities between them, a petite build and bright green eyes. He could not make out toddler's words but the longing in his eyes was clear. The only witness to the scene was a blond with unpleasant expressions. Her scowl deepened as Black Widow detached the child from her legs and nodded to her. She pinched arm of the child, dragging him towards the number four. Clint could barely lip-read her mutterings, he had to move before the growling stray cat alerted Black Widow of his presence.

This kid complicated the mission for him. 'Was this child the reason for Black widow's defection?' 'Was someone blackmailing Widow?' Clint vowed to keep an eye on number Four Privet Drive and find out whatever Black widow was hiding.

That night Clint Barton went to sleep with numerous questions swirling in his mind!

Natalia Romanova spent the entire night planning an escape strategy!

The kid cried himself to sleep for losing his mother again!

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 **Endnotes:**

 **I love writing overconfident Hawkeye! I think he deserves a little praise of his own, therefore I rewrote the first chapter from his viewpoint.**

 **See more of Clint and his investigations in next chapter :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author notes:**

 **Guys, sorry** **for the late update. My laptop crashed and I had to rewrite and re-edit this whole chapter. :(**

 **Jordansdevil: Yes she is! Glad you caught that one! She will make her move soon!**

 **SLYNNR, shunshu,and Alilie : Thanks a lot for your encouragement. Your reviews inspire me to write more. I am running behind the schedule. Hope you like this chapter as well.**

 **If you recognize a character, it belongs to either Marvel or J.K. Rowling! I do not own any of them, nor do I use them for any financial benefit.**

 **English is not my first language, so if you find any grammatical mistakes, let me know!**

 **Read and review :)**

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Intrigued and motivated by the mystery surrounding the kid, Clint Barton started snooping around in Little Whinging. Residents of 'number 4 Privet Drive' emitted the aura of the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious and that, in turn ,grabbed Clint's attention. With their overtly normal house and perfectly manicured lawns, they worked hard to keep up appearance, as if they had some skeletons hidden in their closet.

The small town was full of gossiping housewives and it was an easy, albeit dubious source of highlight of his investigation in Surrey was his meeting with Arabella Figg, a grandmotherly baby sitter of the town. Mrs. Figg was a widowed old lady who made living breeding cats. She had invited him in for a tea and talked fondly about Harry. she had described how Dursley family had acquired a new member overnight. To quote the lady, Harry had appeared out of the thin air ,without any social service officer or a lawyer visiting Dursleys regarding Harry's custody. She had expressed concern regarding Harry's well-being, hoping he would be rescued as soon as possible. Influenced by their meeting, Clint decided to sneak into Dursley household and verify her doubts regarding Harry's mistreatment.

Boy, was she right. Nothing in the household acknowledged Harry's presence. The shoe-rack, coat-closets, photos on the wall, the loaded dishwasher, the second bedroom showed no sign of the second child in the family. The poor kid was locked into the cupboard under the stairs, without a decent bedding,clothing or a meal.

As his investigation proceeded, Clint's suspicions regarding Dursleys grew. Petunia Dursley née Evans claimed Harry to be her deceased sister's son. Harry Potter was orphaned on Halloween night, when his parents, James and Lily Potter, were killed in a car crash. Harry, the sole survivor of the accident, was sent to live with his aunt.

What bugged Clint the most was Petunia's late sister, had never mentioned any her wedding photos and family portraits lacked the fourth Evans family to public records, Potter family did not were no social identifications, license, birth certificates or death certificates by the name of Lily or James search in Cokeworth, Petunia's hometown, was futile as well. There were remnants of the old Evans house and their graves but no information regarding second Evans child. No school leaving certificates or medical records for Lily Evans.

On his next stop, Godric's hollow, the place mentioned on Harry's birth certificate, he had a little quiet village was famous for their World War II inquiries told him a story of the young vibrant couple brutally killed in the freak explosion a few months , certain he was on the right track, searched for the crime three rounds around the village, he finally located a ruined cottage safely tucked behind the memorial pillar. Clint warily inspected the house from outside, little reluctant to go inside.A whisper inside his head to move away from the cottage and visit the memorial again was growing stronger as he took steady steps towards the a deep breath, he opened the gate and approached the cottage.

The front door showed all signs of breaking and entering but the living room was intact. Aside from a few marks on the couch and the floor, there were no signs of struggle. Whoever had broken into the house had made beeline upstairs without any resistance. He froze when stairs revealed a broken nursery about the room screamed destruction, the attacker had left nothing intact. The room was a mess, wooden debris everywhere,even missing the chunk of the roof. Broken toys and ripped photo albums laid around the floor, indicating they had thoroughly searched the room for something. A decorated white crib and a discarded photo frame in it were only survivors of the onslaught. A Frame containing an animated photo of the certain redhead, smiling at the little Harry in her hands.

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 **End notes:**

 **Was Clint a little out of sorts?**

 **W** **ho is that cat? Anyone who** **guesses** **her identity gets a cookie! :)**

 **All plot suggestions, questions and corrections are welcome!**

 **Stay tuned folks, one more wizarding world citizen reveal themselves in next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author notes:**

 **Hello everyone and sorry for a late update! But I am back now with one more chapter. Thank you for all favorites and follows, they inspire me to write more!**

 **SLYNNR, Samantha L. Riddle,** levi **.hall.9279,** dragonloverpower **and Lunainsane11 cookies and hugs for all of you. The cat is indeed McGonagall. She makes an appearance in this chapter.**

 **Argonaut986 You are correct. Lily would never abandon a child. This chapter will provide some answers as to why Clint thinks Harry is Black Widow's son.**

 **thomassmith69 On James' part, it was** wizarding **world hiding their citizens. But** hopefully **this chapter will provide** an insight **on why there were no records about one Lily Evans.**

 **Also, I want to give a shout out to Beast94 for a plot idea. I tweaked her idea a little and used it in this chapter.**

 **If you recognize a character, it belongs to either Marvel or J.K. Rowling! I do not own any of them, nor do I use them for any financial benefit.**

 **English is not my first language, so if you find any grammatical mistakes, let me know!**

 **Happy reading!**

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The wizarding world of Great Britain was recuperating from a disastrous war. Numerous families were massacred, many lives were lost and an entire generation was wiped out. When the scion of House Potter defeated the Dark Lord on all hallows eve entire wizarding world mourned for the loss. Soon, the mourning had turned into a victory celebration; the monument was built to remember the war heroes and the wizarding world moved on. The Potter sacrifice became a distant memory and their savior, the-boy-who-lived, became the legend. In the following months, almost everyone in the wizarding world forgot the orphaned little child. Everyone but Minerva McGonagall.

She was there when Albus Dumbledore had placed the unfortunate child on those muggles' doorstep. She had argued with Dumbledore against placing him with the Dursleys. She had pleaded with him to hide Harry in the wizarding world. However, when Lestranges mercilessly attacked Longbottoms, she had gingerly accepted Harry was safer with muggles than in the wizarding world. Until she discovered how the Dursleys treated Harry.

When she discovered the mistreatment of Harry at the hands of Durselys, she had gone to Dumbledore, asking him to remove Harry from the abusive house. But Dumbledore had brushed her worries off and assured her of monitoring charms placed on the house. To placate the deputy headmistress, he had placed Arabella Figg near the Dursley household to keep an eye on them. But he had forgotten to factor a natural inquisitiveness of the cat animagus. She had picked up on the hidden 'don't try to remove Harry' cue in his speech and was properly intrigued. She spent most of her free time in Surrey, watching over Harry and trying to find out why her friend was so adamant on keeping him there. She wouldn't have figured out his secret if she hadn't been near Harry when the woman had walked near the scene.

The moment this female had arrived near Minerva, her feline senses were assaulted with Lily's familiar scent. While Harry's scent had a woodland tinge of James mixed with Lily's scent, newcomer smelled like a diluted version of Lily; but more potent than Petunia. She felt familiar as if she was a shadow of Lily and the cat inside Minerva did not protest when little Harry ran towards her. The protective cat had almost purred in satisfaction when Harry had hugged her and Minerva had felt a slight tingle. She watched fascinated as small magical tendrils wrapped around the duo as Harry clung to her and everything clicked.

There were blood wards on Harry and somehow the woman was related to Lily Evans, perhaps a long-lost sister. This woman might be the key to get Harry out of this atrocious neighborhood without alerting Albus. However, before she could act upon her instincts, she picked up another scent, a male perched on the roof. She involuntarily growled as the woman detached crying Harry from her and went her way, the man on the roof hot in pursuit. Minerva took a deep breath and started plotting.

When you have magic at disposal, tracking someone or listening to their conversations is not a tedious task, especially if your targets are muggles. With the help of disillusionment charms, listening charms and a little snooping around Minerva gathered basic information about her two recent targets. Both of them were trained assassins and spies and one was sent on a mission to eliminate the other. Now she knew who these people were all she had to do was hatch out a plan which will somehow  
a) Determine if Black Widow was in fact related to Lily Evans and determine if she is trustworthy enough to raise for Harry  
b) Make sure Agent Barton does not kill Black Widow  
c) Somehow trick these two into taking Harry into custody without Albus any wiser.

She had immediately recruited Arabella Figg and a few hours later Black Widow had gained a new pet kitten. While the kneazle was keeping watch on the elusive woman, Minerva had ventured into the ministry for Lily Evans' family records. The resemblance between Lily and Black Widow and their mother was striking. All three were redheads with green eyes, notable traits Petunia hadn't acquired. There was something fishy about how Lily had never mentioned an elder sister or how her mother was never surprised about a witch in a family. It wasn't until she had come across Petrovich family records she had made a connection. Lily's mother was a squib from the Petrovich family and was the victim of the stolen child protocol. There were many families who claimed back a magical child from their squib lineage obliviating memory of the child. There were rumors about Russian families using their squibs for experiments, but Minerva hadn't believed it until she saw Natalia.

She wasn't about to investigate why Petroviches hadn't come after Lily but she had a tangible proof about Harry and Natalia's relationship that would hold up in a muggle court.

She wasn't yet sure about how she would convince Clint Barton. But when she saw him lurking around the neighborhood, a plan formed in her head. Barton was a good man and if he hadn't killed her yet, chances were he would try to recruit Black Widow instead of killing her. She decided to use the superficial similarity between Natalia and Lily to lure him in the plan. He had already witnessed Harry hugging Natalia and it wouldn't be hard to scatter a few clues that would lead him to believe Harry was her son. It was easy to convince Albus Dumbledore how easily death eaters could find Harry if they ventured into the muggle world. All they had to do was follow a paper trail about Lily Evans which inevitably lead to Petunia Dursley as an obvious guardian to one Harry Potter. Two or three suspicious magical incidences in the Surrey neighborhood later Dumbledore had gravely ordered the ministry to erase all records about Lily Evans from muggle world. With no public records left in the muggle world, Lily Evans and James Potter were ghosts. It wasn't fair to Lily, but Minerva would go to any length if it meant Harry was safe.

Arabella had invited snooping Clint for the tea and had slipped a light influence potion in his tea. It had the desired effect and now he was on the quest to find the real identity of the messy haired kid. As expected, he had gone to Cokeworth to verify Petunia's claim. He then had set the course towards Godric's Hollow. When he was affected with muggle repellent and notice me not charms, Minerva had expected him to turn away and march towards London to confront Black Widow. But the stubborn archer had found the cottage thanks to his sheer determination and proceeded to investigate the cottage, setting off the wards. Minerva, rather impressed by his stubbornness, perched on the tree top opposite the cottage and watched the scene unfold with interest.

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 **End Notes:**

 **Who knew McGonagall is so sneaky? But she loves Harry and would do anything to keep him Happy.**  
 **And we now know Clint was misdirected and why there were no muggle records of Lily! In the next chapter, we will check up on Clint and our favorite assassin.**

 **Thank you for reading. Questions, suggestions, and plot ideas are always welcome!**


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